ALEX WYLLIE

Ten things you probably didn't know about former All Black Alex Wyllie, who passed away in 2025 at the age of 80:

1. Wyllie played 40 games for the All Blacks and 11 tests. He played 6 tests at No.6, and 5 tests at No. 8, despite playing most of his Canterbury rugby at No.8.
2. He made his Canterbury debut in 1964, and played a total of 214 games over 16 seasons. He captained them from 1972 until his final game in 1979. 
3. He was part of the infamously brutal Canterbury matches against the Lions in 1966 and 1971.
4. Only once in his 11 tests did he get to play in front of his home crowd at Lancaster Park. 
5. He was back coaching Canterbury in 1982 after a brief stint with Canterbury Country. Despite some reservations from administrators, his direct attitude was embraced by the players. 
6. In 1983, Lancaster Park was renamed Alex Wyllie Stadium for the final match of the season in honour of their popular coach. 
7. He famously had an altercation at half time during the 1985 shield match against Auckland. After being provoked by some gang members, he retaliated by brushing the perpetrator aside, an act that was caught on television. 
8. John Hart's appointment as assistant coach, alongside Wyllie, for the 1991 World Cup was made by Rugby Union chairman Eddie Tonks in response to player feedback.
9. In the 1999 World Cup one of the pools included three teams coached by Kiwis - Wales with Graham Henry, Samoa with Bryan Williams and Argentina with Wyllie. All three teams finished tied with 7 points each. 
10. Wyllie acquired his nickname from his teammate Lyn Davis, who suggested that Wyllie tended to do nothing but grizzle while playing.